A laryngoscope is a device for viewing the vocal cords in a patient's airway. Once visualized, the operator can place an endotracheal tube through the opening between the vocal cords, and into the trachea. Mechanical or spontaneous ventilation then occurs through the endotracheal tube. An example of a laryngoscope is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,909, incorporated by reference herein. U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,909 shows the basic operation of a laryngoscope, which is well-known to those skilled in this technical art, so those background details will not be repeated here.
A variety of modifications to the standard laryngoscope have been attempted. The modifications are done to better facilitate placement of a tube in a patient with difficult anatomy. An example of one approach to improving airway management by an articulable laryngoscope blade can be seen in U.S. Publication No. 2011/0144436, incorporated by reference herein. Current modifications typically involve the use of a video camera to better view the internal anatomy on a display screen. Examples of a video-supplemented laryngoscope are described in US2011/0270038, US2010/0261967, and US2011/0319718, each of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The typical patient is muscle-relaxed (paralyzed) with drugs that prevent spontaneous breathing and allow for relaxed oropharyngeal muscles to optimize intubation. In such a circumstance, the patient is completely dependent upon the operator to secure the airway. Failure to secure the airway can easily result in death.
Therefore, the need for tools and instruments to accomplish such intubation is very important. The need for improvement in this technical art continues. It would be beneficial to intubate the trachea with the same device that visualizes the trachea and which allows highly manipulatable navigation therethrough.
Many current products are limited by either visualization of the cords only or employ only a static guide to endotracheal tube placement. In the second case, if the operator is unable (or the patient's anatomy is difficult) to center the cords on the monitor screen, the operator is unable to actually place the endotracheal tube, no matter that he/she can still see the target on a monitor screen.
The present invention incorporates the ability to see the cords, adjust a guiding stylet toward the cords, and advance the stylet toward and/or pass through the tracheal carina to place the endotracheal tube.